This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Guide tubes are often used during surgery and other medical procedures for guiding instruments into and out of the patient's body. For instance, neurological probes are often introduced through a patient's skull (cranium) toward a target on the brain. The probe can electrically stimulate the brain tissue for analysis thereof, and then the probe can be removed through the same hole in the skull. A guide tube can be used to maintain a desired trajectory of the probe during insertion and removal from the skull. Similar guide tubes can also be used in other medical procedures as well.
In some specific examples, the guide tube is mounted directly to an outer surface of the patient's skull, and the probe is guided along a surface of the tool to ensure the desired trajectory. In other systems, the patient's head is secured in a desired position, the guide tube is a fixture that remains separate from the patient's body. The probe is operably attached to the fixture, which guides the probe toward and away from the patient.